CRITS: A Student Manual

Description

CRITS: A Student Manual is a practical guide to help students obtain maximum benefits from the most common method of teaching art in college: the studio critique. CRITS positions studio critiques as positive, productive, and inspirational means that foster artistic development. It explains the requisite skills, knowledge, and attitudes for meaningful and motivational participation in critiques. CRITS teaches students the hows and whys of critiques so that they can gain enriching benefits from their instructors and peers during and after critiques. CRITS is informed by years of research, development, and experimental implementation of critique strategies in schools across the nation. CRITS includes the points-of-view of both students and instructors to promote productive and cooperative learning communities to observe carefully, think reflexively, and take from critiques all that will help them make more and better work. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Preface Introduction 1 Definitions and stories “Critique,” “criticism,” and “art criticism” Different critiques for different levels Critiques and judgment Critiques and interpretation Some conclusions about defining critiques Stories about critiques Conclusion 2 Good crits | Bad crits Students are key Kinds of comments Power dynamics Positive attitudes Variety of voices Ultimate outcomes Artists on critiques of their own work Conclusion 3 Skills and attitudes Lessons from a psychologist Recommended techniques for effective communication Rules of engagement General considerations for group critiques Conclusion 4 Description Descriptions, interpretations, and judgments overlap Describing subject matter Describing medium Describing form Describing contexts Description and formal analysis Some conclusions Principles of description for critiques Descriptive critiques to try More ideas for descriptive critiques 5 Interpretation How to interpret Intentionalism and interpretation Some limitations of Intentionalism Interpreting artworks rather than artists Assessing interpretations Principles of interpretation for critiques Interpretive critiques to try More ideas for interpretive critiques 6 Judgment The realm of values Theories of art Modernist criteria for art and design Postmodernist criteria for art and design Further considerations of appropriation and originality Preferences and values Selecting criteria for judging art Principles of judgment for critiques Judgmental critiques to try More ideas for judgmental critiques 7 Artist statements and biographies Exemplary artist statements An exemplary artist biography Suggestions for writing artist statements and biographies Concluding remarks References Index